Titans Offensive Stars Impress in Preseason Opener

The Tennessee Titans toppled the San Francisco 49ers for a 17-13 win in the preseason opener for both teams Saturday night at Nissan Stadium, but the final score was somewhat of an afterthought compared to the team debuts for some new faces on offense.

All eyes were on running back Tony Pollard and receiver Calvin Ridley, who both got limited reps in their first game as Titans after signing big contracts earlier this offseason. The reduced playing time didn’t prevent either veteran from flashing their play-making ability against the 49ers defense early in the first half.

Pollard got three touches on Tennessee’s first drive before breaking off a 22-yard run down to the 49ers’ 10-yard line. This set up a four-yard run for Titans running back Tyjae Spears, who praised Pollard after the game.

“He’s been a great brother to work with,” Spears said of Pollard. “We’re still working, and we still have a lot of things to clean up. But we’re off to a great start.”

Pollard finished with four carries for 35 yard and two catches for 11 yards. Ridley, who had a 22-yard catch on Tennessee’s second possession, didn’t get as much usage as his fellow newcomer but still received his flowers from Titans head coach Brian Callahan after the game.

“We were trying to get the ball to Calvin two or three times there,” Callahan said. “It was good to just get Calvin going and you see just how explosive he can be with the ball in his hands.”

Tenneesee quarterback Will Levis could have to rely on Ridley early and often this upcoming season as veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins still deals with a knee injury suffered in training camp.

The Titans will host the Seattle Seahawks for their second preseason game on Saturday at Nissan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!